Lifestyle

Tired, Achy and Forgetful? Signs Your Calcium Level May Be Too High

By Erica Coleman · October 22, 2026

Many people learn their calcium is high from a routine blood test ordered for something else. Others spend months blaming tiredness, sore joints and a foggy memory on age or a bad night’s sleep.

One cause of high blood calcium is a condition called primary hyperparathyroidism. The body has four tiny parathyroid glands in the neck, each about the size of a grain of rice, according to the Mayo Clinic. They make parathyroid hormone, which keeps calcium in balance. In primary hyperparathyroidism, one or more of the glands becomes overactive and makes too much hormone, and calcium in the blood rises too high.

It is not rare. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases calls it one of the most common hormonal disorders. The agency says about 100,000 people in the United States develop it each year, that it most often affects people between 50 and 60, and that women are affected three to four times more often than men. Mayo lists having gone through menopause as a risk factor, along with long-term low calcium or vitamin D, radiation treatment to the head or neck, and taking the medicine lithium.

Most people with the condition have no symptoms, NIDDK says, and when symptoms appear they are often mild and easy to confuse with other problems. These are the ones the major health sources list.

Tiredness and weakness. NIDDK lists fatigue and muscle weakness. Mayo describes tiring easily and feeling weak.

Aching bones and joints. Both NIDDK and Mayo list bone and joint pain.

Forgetfulness and trouble concentrating. MedlinePlus lists depression and forgetfulness among the symptoms, and Mayo lists problems concentrating. NIDDK says confusion can occur in people with more severe disease.

Low mood. Depression appears on the NIDDK, Mayo and MedlinePlus lists.

Thirst and frequent urination. Mayo lists urinating much more than usual and often being thirsty.

Stomach trouble. Mayo lists belly pain, constipation, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. NIDDK says these tend to show up in more severe cases.

Kidney stones. When extra calcium is flushed out in the urine, it can form stones, according to NIDDK.

Bones that break easily. High hormone levels pull calcium out of the bones, which can weaken them. Mayo says this often leads to osteoporosis, and MedlinePlus lists fragile bones that can break easily.

The usual cause is a noncancerous growth on one gland, called an adenoma. NIDDK says this is the cause in about 8 out of 10 people. Cancer is a rare cause.

Diagnosis starts with blood work. NIDDK says doctors diagnose primary hyperparathyroidism when a blood test shows high calcium along with high parathyroid hormone. If you have been told your calcium is a little high, it is fair to ask your doctor whether your parathyroid hormone level has been checked. Doctors may also order a bone density scan and look for kidney stones.

Surgery to remove the overactive gland or glands is the only sure cure, according to NIDDK, and when done by experienced surgeons it almost always works. NIDDK says some people with mild disease can be safely monitored instead, with regular checkups, a yearly blood test for calcium and kidney function, and a bone density test every one to two years. Medicines can lower calcium or protect bones for people who do not have surgery.

Mayo advises seeing your health care professional if you have any of these symptoms, since an accurate diagnosis lets treatment begin.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk with your doctor about any symptoms, test results, or changes to your medicines or supplements. This article was produced with the assistance of AI and fact-checked against the sources cited by LightWave Reports.